1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing apparatuses, image capturing apparatuses, image processing methods, and computer programs. In particular, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program for recording, as a data file playable as a slide show, still images captured by a camcorder, or the like, capable of recording both moving images and still images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital camcorders capture moving images and store data of the captured images on recording media such as digital versatile discs (DVDs), hard disks, or flash memories. In addition, in recent years, digital camcorders capable of recording not only moving images but also still images have been developed.
For example, for a camcorder that can record both moving images and still images as captured data on a DVD, a DVD player is used to play back the DVD having the captured data recorded thereon. However, many current DVD players can only play back moving images, and have no functions of reading and playing back JPEG (Join Photographic Experts Group) still image data files.
For the above DVD players having no still image playback functions, as a system enabling playback of still images captured by a camcorder, there is a data-conversion recording system in which, when still images are recorded on a DVD, instead of recording the still images as JPEG still image data, the JPEG still image data is converted into moving image data, for example, MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) moving image data before being recorded. This data-conversion recording system is employed in a type of camcorder. For example, such a particular type of camcorder can convert captured still images into MPEG moving image data playable as a slide show by a DVD player, and can record the MPEG moving image data.
In general, at the time of capturing moving images, in current camcorders, setting of an image capture mode can set the aspect ratio of captured image data to one of 16:9 and 4:3. In many cases, the aspect ratio of still image data obtained by digital camcorders capable of capturing both moving images and still images is 4:3. Thus, in a case in which, after being converted into moving image data, the moving image data is recorded on a recording medium such as a DVD by a camcorder of the related art which has a function of recording moving image data obtained by converting still image data, it is common that an aspect ratio set by the camcorder is fixed to 4:3.
In addition, with widespread use of high definition television in recent years, also a display aspect ratio has come to change from 4:3 to 16:9. When a DVD player is used for playback, there is an increasing chance that pictures based on still image data are also viewed using a television having an aspect ratio of 16:9. With the above change, digital camcorders also come to include a type of camcorder capable of recording still images each having an aspect ratio of 16:9.
Use of such a type of camcorder results in producing a mixture of still images captured with an aspect ratio of 4:3 and still images captured with an aspect ratio of 16:9. In a case in which, when still images captured by the camcorder are represented by still image data having an aspect ratio of 16:9, the still image data is converted into moving image data and the moving image data is recorded on a recording medium, it is preferable that the moving image data be recorded not having an aspect ratio of 4:3 but an aspect ratio of 16:9.
The aspect ratio of moving image data obtained by conversion can be selected by a user. However, in order to select an appropriate aspect ratio, it is necessary for the user to set the aspect ratio of moving image data obtained by conversion by confirming aspect ratios of data items recorded on the recording medium one by one. This operation needs a lot of effort if the amount of the recorded data items is very large.